The  Covenant 


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'Be  th«u  the  herald  of 
The  Center  of  The  Covenant1 


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•PUBUSHED-IN-THE-VEAR  -XXI-DF- 

•THE-MINI5TRY-QF-ABDUL-BAHA' 


i  FOREWORD  i 


This  Article  is  a  brief  statement  of  The 
Covenant  God  made  with  mankind  through 
the  prophets  of  the  past  and  has  fulfilled  in 
these   latter   days,   in   the   Bahai    Movement. 


PAGE  TWO 


(Translated  from  the  Persian) 

His  Holiness  Abraham,  on  Him  be  Peace, 
made  a  covenant  concerning  His  Holiness 
Moses  and  gave  the  glad  tidings  of  His 
Coming.  His  Holiness  Moses  made  a  cove- 
nant concerning  the  Promised  One,  i.  e.  His 
Holiness  Christ  and  announced  the  good 
news  of  His  Manifestation  to  the  world. 
His  Holiness  Christ  made  a  covenant  con- 
cerning (the)  Paraclete  and  gave  the  tid- 
ings of  His  coming.  His  Holiness  the 
Prophet  Mohammed  made  a  covenant  con- 
cerning His  Holiness  The  Bab  and  The  Bab 
was  the  One  promised  by  Mohammed,  for 
Mohammed  gave  the  tidings  of  His  coming. 
The  Bab  made  a  covenant  concerning 
Baha'o'llah  and  gave  the  glad  tidings  of  His 
coming,  the  One  Promised  by  His  Holi- 
ness The  Bab.  Baha'o'llah  made  a  cove- 
nant concerning  a  Promised  One  who  will 
become  manifest  after  one  thousand,  or 
thousands  of  years.  He  likewise,  with  His 
Supreme  Pen,  entered  into  a  great  covenant 
and  testament  with  all  the  Bahais  whereby 
they  were  all  commanded  to  follow  the  Cen- 

PAGE  THREE 


ter  of  the  Covenant  after  His  (Baha'o'llah's) 
departure,  and  turn  not  away,  even  to  a 
hair's  breadth,  from  obeying  him. 

In  the  Book  of  Akdas,  He.  (Baha'o'llah} 
has  given  positive  commands  in  two  clear 
instances,  and  has  explicitly  appointed  the 
Interpreter  of  "The  Book."  Also  in  all  the 
Divine  Tablets,  especially  in  the"Chapter  of 
The  Branch,"  all  means  the  Servitude  of  Ab- 
dul-Baha,  all  that  was  needed  to  explain  the 
Center  of  the  Covenant  and  the  Interpreter 
of  the  Book  has  been  revealed  from  the 
Supreme  Pen.  Now  as  Abdul-Baha  is  the 
Interpreter  of  The  Book  he  says  that  the 
"Chapter  of  the  3ranch"  means  Abdul  Ba- 
ha,  that  is,  the  Servitude  of  Abdul  Baha, 
and    none    other. 

In  short,  one  of  the  specific  features  of 
this  cycle  of  His  Holiness  Baha'o'llah, 
which  has  not  been  manifest  during  the 
former  cycles,  is  that  His  Holiness  Baha- 
'o'llah left  no  opportunity  for  difference  (di- 
vision). For  in  His  blessed  Day  He  made 
a  covenant  and  testament  with  the  traces 
of  the  Supreme  Pen  and  explained  the  one 
to  whom  all  should  turn;  and  He  explicitly 
pointed  to  the  Interpreter  of  the  Book,  and 
thus  closed  all  doors  to  interpretations. 
We  must  all  offer  thanks  to  God,  for  He 
gave  us  rest  (peace)  in  this  blessed  cycle, 
and  left  no  occasion  for  anyone  to  hesitate 
(doubt).     All    must    therefore    obey    and    be 

PAGE   FOUR 


submissive,  and  wholly  turn  themselves  to 
the  one  appointed  by  Him,  i.  e.  The  Center 
of  The  Covenant. 

But  all  explanations  must  alone  be  limited 
to  what  has  been  stated.  Do  you  by  no 
means  exceed  it;  so  that  it  may  be  con- 
ducive to  harmony,  and  remove  differences. 


B^B^^^^^^» 


PAGE   FIVt 


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a 

ADDRESS  UPON 

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BY  ABDUL-BAHA 


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NEW  YORK  CITY,  JUNE   19th,  1912. 

Translated  by  DR.  AMEEN  U.  FAREED. 
Parentheses  Supplied. 

Tomorrow  I  wish  to  go  to  Montclair.  To- 
day Is  the  last  day  in  which  we  gather  to- 
gether with  you  to  say  farewell  to  you. 
Therefore,  I  wish  to  expound  for  you  an  im- 
portant question,  and  that  question  con- 
cerns The  Covenant. 

In  former  cycles  no  distinct  Covenant 
had  been  made  in  writing  by  the  Supreme 
Pen;  no  distinct  personage  had  been  ap- 
pointed to  be  the  Standard  differentiating 
falsehood  from  truth,  so  that  whatsoever 
he  was  to  say  was  to  stand  as  truth  and 
that  whcih  he  repudiated  was  to  be  known 
as  falsehood.  At  most,  His  Holiness  Jesus 
Christ  gave  only  an  intimation,  a  symbol, 
and  that  was  but  an  indication  of  the  solid- 
ity of  Peter's  faith.  When  he  mentioned 
his  faith,  His  Holiness  said,  "Thou  art  Pe- 
ter"— which  means  rock — "and  upon  this 
rock  v/ill  I  build  my  church".  This  was  a 
sanction  of  Peter's  faith;  it  was  not  indica- 
tive of  his  (Peter)  being  the  expounder  of 
the  Book,  but  was  a  confirmation  of  Peter's 
faith. 

^ut  in  this  dispensation  of  the  Blessed 
Beauty,  (Baha'o'llah)  among  its  distinctions 
is  that  He  did  not  leave  people  in  perplexity. 
He   entered   into   a   covenant   and   testament 

PAGE    EIGHT 


with  the  people.  He  appointed  a  Center  of  the 
Covenant.  He  wrote  with  His  own  pen  and 
revealed  it  in  the  Kitab-el-Akdas,  the  Book 
of  Laws,  the  Book  of  the  Covenant,  appoint- 
ing him  (Abdul-Baha)  the  Expounder  of  the 
Book.  You  must  ask  him  (Abdul-Baha)  re- 
garding the  meanings  of  the  texts  of  the 
verses.  Whatsoever  he  says  is  correct.  Out- 
side of  this,  in  numerous  tablets  He  (Baha'- 
o'llah)  has  explicitly  recorded  it,  with  clear, 
sufficient,  valid  and  forceful  statements.  In 
the  tablet  of  The  Branch  He  explicitly 
states,  "Whatsoever  The  Branch  says  is 
right,  or  correct;  and  every  person  must 
obey  The  Branch  with  his  life,  with  his 
heart,  with  his  tongue.  Without  his  will, 
not  a  word  shall  anyone  utter."  This  is  an 
explicit  text  of  the  Blessed  Beauty.  So 
there  is  no  rescue  left  for  anybody.  No 
soul  shall,  of  himself,  speak  anything. 
Whatsoever  his  (Abdul-Baha's)  tongue  ut- 
ters, whatsoever  his  pen  records,  that  is 
correct;  according  to  the  explicit  text  of 
Baha'o'llah  in  the  tablet  of  The  Branch. 

His    Holiness    Abraham    covenanted    with 
regard  to   Moses.      His   Holiness   Moses  was 

the  Promised  One  of  Abraham,  and  He, 
Moses,  covenanted  with  regard  to  His  Holi- 
ness Christ,  saying  that  Christ  was  the 
Promised  One.  His  Holiness  Christ  cove- 
nanted with  regard  to  His  Holiness  "The 
Paraclete,"  which  means  His  Holiness  Mo- 
hammed. His  Holiness  Mohammed  cove- 
nanted as  regards  The  Bab,  whom  He  called, 
"My  Promised  One,"  His  Holiness  The  Bab, 

PAGE    NINE 


in  all  His  books,  in  al!  His  epistles,  explicit- 
ly covenanted  with  regard  to  the  Blessed 
Beauty,  Baha'o'llah — that  Baha'o'llah  was 
the  Promised  One  of  His  Holiness  The  Bab. 
His  Holiness  Baha'o'llah  covenanted,  not 
that  I  (Abdul-Baha)  am  the  Promised  One, 
but  that  Abdul-Baha  is  the  Expounder  of 
the  Book  and  The  Center  of  His  Covenant, 
and  that  the  Promised  One  of  Baha'o'llah 
will  appear  after  one  thousand  or  thou- 
sands of  years.  This  is  the  Covenant  which 
Baha'o'llah  made.  If  a  person  shall  deviate, 
he  is  not  acceptable  at  the  Threshold  of 
Baha'o'llah.  In  case  of  difference — Abdul- 
Baha  must  be  consulted.  They  must  re- 
volve around  his  good  pleasure.  After  Ab- 
dul-Baha— whenever  the  Universal  House 
of  Justice  is  organized  it  will  ward  off  dif- 
ferences. 

Now  !  pray  for  you  that  GOD  may  aid 
you,  may  confirm  you,  may  appoint  you  for 
His  service;  that  He  may  suffer  you  to  be 
as  radiant  candles;  that  He  may  accept  yoi« 
in  His  Kingdom;  that  He  may  make  you  the 
cause  of  the  spread  of  the  light  of  Baha'o'- 
llah in  these  countries,  and  that  the  teach- 
ings^  of  Baha'o'llah  may  be  spread  broad- 
cast. 

I  pray  for  you,  and  I  am  pleased  with  all 
of  you,  each  one,  one  by  one;  and  I  pray 
that  GOD  may  aid  and  confirm  you.  From 
Montclair  I  will  come  back  to  you.  New 
York  is  favored,  I  go  away  and  I  come  back 
to  it.  The  friends  in  New  York  must  ap- 
preciate this.     At  present,  farewell  to  you! 

PAGE  TEN 


mimniiiiiiii 


Menu 


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BV-CHARLES-MA5DN-REMEV 


imimiiiiiiiii 


The  Bahai  Movement  offers  to  the  world 
the  fulfillment  of  the  religions  of  the  past, 
an  all-inclusive,  universal  teaching,  so  broad 
that  people  of  all  races  and  of  all  creeds 
find  place  therein.  It  is  essentially  a  relig- 
ious movement,  a  spiritual  teaching,  free 
from  the  limitations  of  sect  and  "ism,"  and 
constructive  in  its  building  upon  the  faith 
of  the  individual  and  upon  the  pure  teach- 
ings of  the  past,  thus  increasing  love  and  de- 
votion for  God  and  creating  within  each 
soul  the  desire  to  manifest  these  through 
brotherly  service  to  one's  fellowmen. 

Mankind  needs  and  seeks  spiritual  guid- 
ance. This  divine  guidance  has  come  to 
humanity  always  through  the  instrumen- 
tality of  the  prophets  or  revealers  of  Truth. 
These  chosen  souls  have  been  the  founders 
of  the  great  religious  world-movements. 
They  have  manifested  God  to  the  people  of 
the  world,  and  through  these  divine  mani- 
festations men  have  known  God  and  have 
become  quickened  by  the  life  eternal. 

Through  prophets  of  the  past  was  made 
the  divine  covenant,  or  promise  to  the  world, 
of  the  coming  in  the  "end  of  the  days"  of 
a  Great  Prophet,  one  Who  would  arise  with 
spiritual  power  and  establish  upon  earth 
God's  Kingdom  of  Peace.  Though  the  per- 
sonalities of  the  prophets  differed,  yet  the  di- 
vine  power  which   spoke  through   each   one 


PAGE  TWELVE 


was  the  same  in  spirit  and  reality.  Each 
prophet  revealed  God  and  the  law  of 
the  divine  kingdom  in  proportion  to  the 
needs  of  the  age  to  which  he  ministered,  and 
in  terms  and  parables  familiar  to  its  people. 

In  their  purity,  all  religious  teachings  are 
in  perfect  accord;  all  teach  the  Fatherhood 
of  God  and  the  Brotherhood  of  man.  Hu- 
man differences,  imaginations  and  super- 
stitions have  been  the  causes  of  religious 
division,  dissension  and  disintegration,  but 
true  spirituality  has  ever  been  the  source  and 
mainspring  of  man's  unity  in  religion  and 
advancement  in  civilization.  Each  of  the 
great  world  civilizations  has,  had  its  concep- 
tion and  birth  in  a  spiritually  active  religion, 
and  the  downfall  of  civilizations  has  been 
brought  about  by  spiritually  lifeless  relig- 
ions, shrouded  in  forms  and  in  superstitions. 

Each  age  of  the  world  has  had  its  needs 
and  problems  to  solve.  Now,  in  this  latter 
age,  the  great  problems,  economic,  political 
and  religious,  are  not  confined,  as  in  the  past, 
to  certain  restricted  geographic  areas,  but 
are  universal.  Through  the  advance  of 
civilization  all  countries  and  peoples  of  the 
world  have  been  brought  together  until,  for 
the  first  time  in  its  history,  the  world  now 
finds  it  has  entered  upon  a  universal  era 
in  its  progress.  This  is  the  universal  age, 
in  which  all  peoples  and  nations  are  to 
merge  into  one  world-people  and  develop 
into  one  great  world-civilization. 

As  the  former  ages  have  had  certain 
spiritual  or  religious  needs,  so  this  present 
and   coming   universal   age,  past  the  thresh- 

PAGE  THIRTEEN 


old  of  which  the  world  now  stands,  has  its 
own  needs,  spiritual  and  religious.  The 
world  is  now  ready  for  the  spiritual  unity 
and  harmony  of  its  people.  The  universal 
religion  now  comes,  in  order  that  the  uni- 
versal  civilization    may   be   realized. 

The  prophets  of  the  past  foresaw  this 
latter-day  religious  need,  and  they  also  fore- 
saw the  coming  of  two  great  teachers  and 
prophets  who  would  minister  to  the  whole 
world,  and  fulfill  the  covenant  of  God  in 
establishing  the  universal  religion  or  The 
Kingdom   upon  earth. 

The  Hebrew  prophets  dwelt  at  length 
upon  the  coming  of  the  "Ancient  of  Days," 
and  the  glory  of  His  epoch;  Jesus,  the 
Christ,  spoke  many  times  of  His  second 
coming  and  the  establishment  of  His 
Father's  Kingdom  upon  earth;  the  Prophet 
Mohammed  taught  that  the  Mahdi  would 
come,  followed  by  the  Manifestation  of  God 
Who  would  establish  the  Kingdom;  Zoroas- 
ter taught  of  the  triumph  of  light  over  dark- 
ness, of  truth  over  ignorance,  and  His  fol- 
lowers expect  The  Promised  One  Whom 
they  call  Shah  Bahram,  to  accomplish  this 
victory;  Gautama,  The  Buddha,  foretold  the 
coming  of  the  great  Fifth  Buddha,  Who  would 
bring  enlightenment  to  all  the  world;  the 
Hindu  holy  books  mention  another  incar- 
nation of  Krishna,  or  the  Divine  Spirit, 
Whose  mission  would  be  universal  enlighten- 
ment; while  the  poets  and  prose  writers  of 
all  times  have  depicted  the  beauty  and  the 
perfection  of  the  Utopian  or  millenial  age. 
In    reality    all    testifies   to    One    Who    is   to 

PAGE  FOURTEEN 


come.  These  promises  of  the  prophets  cf 
old  have  been  realized  in  the  coming  cf 
Baha'o'llah,  from  whom  the  Bahai  Move- 
ment takes  its  name,  and  in  the  coming  of 
His  forerunner,  The  Bab,  and  of  His  son, 
Abdul-Baha,  who  is  "The  Center  of  The  Cov- 
enant" and  through  whose  service  the  Di- 
vine Light  is  now  proceeding;  and  in  the 
Bahai  cause,  which  has  emanated  from 
these  teachings,  is  to  be  found  the  nucleus  of 
the  world's  universal  religion  which  is 
growing  and  developing  and  is  uniting  all 
people  in  The   Kingdom   of  The   Father. 


PAGE    FIFTEEN 


j    THE  BAB    j 


THE    FORERUNNER     OF     BAHA'O'LLAH. 

Mirza  AM  Mohammed,  the  first  teacher 
of  the  Bahai  cause,  was  known  as  The  Bab 
whicn  is  the  Persian  and  the  Arabic  word 
for  door  or  gate.  His  teaching  began  with 
His  declaration  of  His  mission  to  eighteen 
chosen  disciples  who  were  gathered  to- 
gether in  the  city  of  Shiraz  in  Southern 
Persia.  This  took  place  on  the  23rd  of 
May,    1844. 

To  these  spiritually  prepared  souls  The 
Bab  declared  His  mission  as  forerunner  of 
a  great,  world  teacher,  One  Whom  He  en- 
titled "He  whom  God  shall  Manifest":  The 
great,  divine  teacher  Who  would  shortly 
appear  with  manifest  signs  of  spiritual  pow- 
er, and  through  Whom  the  divine  covenant 
would  be  fulfilled  and  the  religious  unity 
of  the  world  would   be  accomplished. 

The  Bab,  Who  was  a  youth  of  twenty-five, 
through  spiritual  wisdom  and  through  pur- 
ity of  purpose  and  soul,  drew  unto  Himself 
many  followers  who  in  turn  arose  to  pro- 
mulgate His  simple  doctrines,  and  their 
fervor  within  a  very  short  time  assembled 
a  large  following. 

Immediately,  the  movement  met  with  great 
opposition  upon  the  part  of  the  Persian 
clergy,    and    at    their    instigation    The    Bab 

PAGE  SIXTEEN 


was  placed  under  military  surveillance. 
Notwithstanding  this  trouble  He  continued 
His  teaching,  and  exhorted  the  people 
through  purity  of  living  to  make  ready  and  to 
fit  themselves  for  the  coming  of  the  Prom- 
ised  One   Who  was  shortly  to  appear. 

Thus  passed  the  first  two  years  of  The 
Bab's  ministry.  His  cause  had  then  so  in- 
creased in  influence,  that  the  Persian 
clergy,  fearful  of  the  loss  of  their  hold  over 
the  people,  caused  the  Bab  to  be  seized  and 
cast  into  prison,  but  during  His  imprison- 
ment He  continued  His  teaching,  through 
letters  and  epistles  which  were  secretly 
conveyed  to  His  followers  throughout  the 
country. 

After  four  years  of  confinement  The  Bab, 
upon  the  charge  of  heresy,  was  condemned 
to  death,  and  on  July  9th,  1850,  in  the  city 
of  Tabriz  in  northwestern  Persia,  with  one 
of  His  devoted  followers  The  Bab  suffered 
martyrdom. 

This  mission  of  The  Bab  was  that  of 
forerunner  or  precursor  of  "Him  whom  God 
shall  Manifest."  Moved  by  the  spirit  of 
God,  He  arose  with  steadfastness  and  pow- 
er to  herald  the  coming  of  the  Lord  of  the 
Ages.  The  institutions  which  He  establish- 
ed were  therefore  temporary,  being  destin- 
ed to  bridge  over  the  time  until  the  com- 
ing of  the  great  teacher  Who  would  es- 
tablish a  universal  cause.  The  Bab  gave 
very  definite  instructions  to  the  followers 
that  they,  upon  the  appearance  of  the  One 
Promised    should    turn     implicitly    to     Him, 

PAGE   SEVENTEEN 


following  His  teachings  and  instructions  in 
which  would  be  contained  a  spiritual  power 
that  would  evolve  and  grow  until  it  filled 
the  world,  unifying  all  men,  of  all 
races  and  religions,  in  the  Kingdom  of  God 
upon  earth. 

As  the  cause  of  The  Bab  spread  through- 
out Persia,  the  most  dire  troubles  and  per- 
secutions descended  upon  the  believers, 
who  were  known  as  Babis.  The  Mussul- 
mans fell  upon  them,  destroying  properties 
and  killing  men,  women  and  children. 
Over  twenty  thousand  believers  willingly 
gave  up  property,  family  and  life  rather 
than  deny  their  faith,  which  act  would,  in 
most  cases,  have  saved  them.  In  Persia 
even  as  late  as  1901  there  were  over  one 
hundred  and  seventy  believers  martyred  at 
one  time,  in  the  city  of  Yazd. 


PAGE   EIGHTEEN 


THE    PROMISED    ONE. 

After  The  Bab,  appeared  The  Promised 
One:  Baha'o'llah  a  youth  of  a  family  of 
nobility  and  prominence  in  Persia.  He  arose 
with  vigor  and  force,  upholding  and  publicly 
teaching  the  truths  taught  by  The  Bab. 

Shortly  after  The  Bab's  martyrdom,  when 
the  great  persecutions  of  the  believers  be- 
gan, Baha'o'llah  with  many  others  of  the 
new  faith  was  cast  into  an  underground  dun- 
geon, and  with  chainj  about  His  neck  He  was 
held  prisoner  while  His  properties  were  pil- 
laged and  confiscated.  Many  of  Baha'o- 
Mlah's  fellow  prisoners  were  killed,  while  He 
with  some  of  the  kelievers,  was  finally  sent 
in  exile  from  Teharan  to  Baghdad  in  Irak- 
Arabi. 

In  Baghdad,  Baha'o'llah  arose  with  a  spirit- 
ual power  and  a  divine  dominion  to  spread 
the  new  faith.  He  labored  to  bring  strength 
and  assurance  to  the  Babis  and  He  breathed 
into  them  a  new  spirit,  for  the  massacres 
and  persecutions  had  thrown  them  into  a 
most  lamentable  condition  of  both  mental 
and  physical  distress.  Baha'o'llah  went 
from  Baghdad  alone  into  the  mountain  fast- 
nesses of  Kurdistan,  and  there  for  two 
years  He  lived  the  life  of  a  recluse,  prepar- 
ing Himself  spiritually  for  His  coming 
mission,  then  returned  to  Baghdad  to  care 
for  and  lead  His  flock. 

PAGE  NINTEEN 


In  The  Bab's  prophetic  writings  had  beei 
many  passages,  through  the  spiritual  inter- 
pretation of  which,  the  people  would  be  en- 
abled to  recognize  the  Promised  One  who 
would  follow;  and  as  the  believers  came 
more  and  more  under  Baha'o'llah's  guidance 
they  realized  the  profoundness  of  His  di- 
vine knowledge  and  they  looked  upon  Him 
as  their  promised  guide. 

In  the  coming  of  Baha'o'llah  was  the  ful- 
filment of  The  Bab's  promise,  the  coming  of 
The  Ancient  of  Days;  The  Lord  of  Hosts; 
to  which  The  Bab  had  testified  by  a  life  of 
service  and  by  martyrdom. 

Through  Baha'o'llah's  wisdom  and  spirit- 
ual insight  came  calmness,  assurance  and 
strength  to  the  followers,  but  as  the  move- 
ment increased  in  numbers  the  fanaticism 
of  the  Persian  clergy  against  the  believers 
continued  to  augment  rather  than  diminish, 
until  finally  an  international  arrangement 
between  the  despotic  kings  of  Persia  and 
Turkey  was  made,  by  which  Baha'o'llah  and 
a  band  of  His  followers,  were  ordered  to  a 
more  distant  exile  in  Constantinople  in  or- 
der thus  to  separate  them  from  the  be- 
lievers   in    Persia. 

Upon  the  eve  of  His  departure  from  Irak- 
Arabi  to  Constantinople  in  April,  1863,  Baha- 
'o'llah had  declared  Himself  to  the  most 
trusted  followers  to  be  the  One  of  Whose 
coming  The  Bab  had  borne  witness  as  of 
One  "Whom  God  shall  Manifest." 

After  a  long  journey,  overland  and  by  sea, 
Baha'o'llah    and   the   band    of   exiles   arrived 

PAGE  TWENTY 


in  Constantinople  where  they  remained  for 
several  months;  then  they  were  sent  still 
farther  on,  to  Adrianople  in  Roumelia,  that 
Baha'o'llah  might  be  separated  as  far  as 
possible  from  the  world  which  His  cause 
was  agitating. 

After  five  years  of  exile  in  Adrianople, 
in  Turkey,  during  which  the  cause  continu- 
ed to  grow  both  inwardly  and  outwardly  in 
strength,  another  order,  issued  by  the 
despotic  Ottoman  government,  ordered  Ba- 
ha'o'llah to  be  sent  to  the  prison  fortress 
town  of  Akka  (Acre),  a  Turkish  penal  col- 
ony on  the  Mediterranean  sea  just  north  of 
Mount   Carmel    in    Syria. 

In  this  land  of  Sharon  and  Carmel,  where, 
according  to  the  ancient  prophets,  the 
Glory  of  God  would  be  manifest  in  the  lat- 
ter days,  Baha'o'llah  lived  and  taught. 
During  the  first  two  years  in  the  Holy  Land 
He  was  closely  guarded  within  the  prison 
of  the  fortress  of  Akka,  but  His  greatness 
became  so  apparent  to  the  prison  officers 
and  He  manifested  such  spiritual  power 
that  they  gave  Him  great  freedom,  and  all 
were  most  kind  and  friendly,  for  they  saw 
only  truth  and  perfect  righteousness  in 
Him.  Through  this  friendship  the  material 
condition  of  the  believers  was  greatly 
bettered.  First  Baha'o'llah  was  allow- 
ed the  liberty  of  the  fortress  city,  then 
His  tent  was  pitched  upon  the  Mount  of 
Carmel,  and  He  spent  much  of  His  time  at 
Behje,  upon  the  plain  cf  Akka. 

PAGE  TWENTY-ONE 


During  these  years,  many  believers  and 
truth  seekers  came  great  distances  to  visit 
Baha'o'llah  and  received  from  Him  spiritual 
understanding,  they  in  turn  going  forth  to 
spread  His  cause  in  the  far  parts  of  the 
world. 

Through  His  Tablets  or  epistles  Baha'o'- 
llah reached  many  people  in  distant  lands, 
answering  their  questions  ana  giving  them 
spiritual  advices.  He  also  wrote  many 
general  treatises  upon  spiritual  subjects. 
These  contain  explanations  of  the  principles 
of  His  teachings,  as  well  as  certain  general 
admonitions  and  ordinances  through  which 
mankind  will  evolve  to  a  high  state  of  ma- 
terial  and   spiritual   welfare. 

In  His  writings  Baha'o'llah  unlocked  the 
mysteries  of  the  spiritual  truths  In  the  holy 
books  of  the  religions  of  the  past.  He  clear- 
ly demonstrated  that  all  Truth  is  One  Truth, 
and  that  all  prophets  have  manifested  the 
one  same  God. 

With  the  coming  of  Baha'o'llah  and  the 
establishment  of  His  cause  the  mission  of 
His  forerunner  The  Bab  was  completed,  and 
the   Babi   Cause   became   the   Bahai    Cause. 

The  mission  of  The  Bab  being  practically 
confined  to  Persia  and  to  a  few  neighboring 
countries,  His  ordinances  and  teachings 
were  calculated  to  meet  their  local  needs 
and   conditions. 

The  mission  of  Baha'o'llah  being  to  the 
whole  world,  His  teachings  are  universal  in 
character  and  are  directly  applicable  to  any 
and    ali    conditions    of    men,    irrespective    of 

PAGE   TWENTY-TWO 


race,    religion    or    degree    of    human    attain- 
ment. 

In  the  month  of  May,  1892,  after  forty 
years  of  spiritual  labor  Baha'o'llah  departed 
this  life.  He  had  given  His  teachings  to 
the  world,  in  their  entirety,  and  His  mis- 
sion was  completed,  yet  there  was  other 
wcrk  to  be  done  in  order  to  establish  His 
cause  in  the  world.  The  spirit  of  the  Ba- 
hai  teachings  was  to  be  practically  demon- 
strated in  the  world.  Por  the  accomplish- 
ment of  this,  Baha'o'llah  exhorted  His  fol- 
lowers to  look  towards  His  son,  Abdul-Baha, 
as  the  expounder  of  His  teachings,  one  up 
on  whose  shoulders  His  mantle  would  fall, 
and  through  whose  service  to  human- 
ity the  life  of  the  kingdom  would  be  dem- 
onstrated to  all  the  world.  In  order  to  in- 
sure the  unity  and  solidarity  of  the  cause, 
and  to  protect  the  believers  from  dis-union 
and  differences,  Baha'o'llah  in  two  places  in 
the  Book  of  Akdas  (one  of  His  chief  writ- 
ings) commanded  His  followers  after  His 
departure  to  turn  their  faces  to  "The 
Branch  extended  from  the  Ancient  Root"; 
and  to  refer  all  matters  to  "The  Center  of 
The  Covenant."  Also,  in  the  Book  of  The 
Testament,  Baha'o'llah  explains  that  by 
"The  Branch  extended  from  the  Ancient 
Root"  is  meant  the  Greatest  Branch,  Abdul- 
Baha,  to  whom  all  should  turn.  Among  the 
Tablets  (epistles)  of  Baha'o'llah  is  the  "Tab- 
let of  The  Branch,"  in  which  He  prophesies 
that  many  shall  arise  against  "The  Branch" 
and  shall  persecute  him  most  severely,  and 

PAGE  TWENTY-THREE 


shall  deny  him.  These  are  the  worst  cf 
people,  for  they  are  the  opposers  of  The 
Covenant.  All  are  exhorted  implicitly  to 
follow  Abdul-Baha;  to  look  to  him  as  to  the 
point  of  guidance  for  all,  and  upon  his 
servitude  as  the  source  of  the  spiritual  il- 
lumination of  the  world,  "The  Center  of  The 
Covenant.'' 


PAGE  TWENTY-FOUR 


THE  CENTER  OF  THE  COVENANT. 

Abdul-Baha  was  born  in  Teheran  in  north- 
ern Persia,  upon  the  23rd  day  of  May,  1844. 
the  very  day  upon  which  The  Bab  gathered 
His  disciples  together  in  Southern  Persia 
and  made  His  declaration.  Abdul-Baha  was 
named  Abbas;  Abdul-Baha  (The  Servant  of 
God)  being  his  spiritual  title,  the  name  by 
which  he  is  known  as  a  spiritual  teacher. 

In  the  accounts  handed  down  by  those 
who  knew  Abdul-Baha  when  a  child,  we 
are  told  that  at  an  early  age  he  showed 
a  contemplative  and  deeply  spiritual  dis- 
position combined  with  a  highly  forceful 
and  active  nature.  When  Abdul-Baha  was 
but  eight  years  old,  the  greatest  persecu- 
tion of  the  Bahais  began  in  Persia. 

During  the  ten  years,  with  his  father  Baha- 
'o'llah,  in  Baghdad,  Abdul-Baha  passed  from 
childhood  into  manhood.  Because  of  the  vi- 
cissitudes of  the  time  he  never  attended  any 
school,  but  through  constant  association  with 
,  BahaVllah,  and  devotion  and  service  in  His 
cause  Abdul-Baha  grew  strong  in  knowledge, 
in    wisdom,    and     in    spiritual    attainments. 

As  he  attained  maturity  Abdul-Baha  be- 
came Baha'o'llah's  chief  aid  and  disciple  in 
carrying  on  His  work.  It  was  Abdul-Baha 
who  first  interviewed  all  persons  who  came 

PAGE  TWENTY-FIVE 


to  confer  with  Baha'o'llah,  and  so  ordered 
matters  that  Baha'o'llah  could  meet  those 
having  spiritual  ability  and  capacity  and 
who  needed  Him,  and  not  those  who  came 
only  through  curiosity.  During  those  days 
Baha'o'llah  was  visited  by  many  believers 
from  Persia,  as  well  as  by  truth  seekers 
from   among   various   religions  and    nations. 

Abdul-Baha  himself  also  taught  the 
people  diligently;  and  he  discussed  with 
learned  theologians  who  marveled  at  his 
wisdom  and  his  intrepretation  of  spiritual 
teachings.  They  could  not  understand  how 
this  youth,  uneducated  from  thetr  stand- 
point of  erudition,  could  produce  with  great 
ease  and  fluency  arguments  that  none  could 
refute  nor  gainsay. 

When  the  time  came  for  Baha'o'llah  to 
reveal  himself  as  the  Promised  One  of  all 
religions,  it  was  Abdul-Baha  who  first  rec- 
onized  Him  in  His  divine  capacity,  and  it 
was  Abdul-Baha  who  first  voiced  the  mighty 
message  of  The  Manifestation  of  God  among 
men. 

Abdul-Baha's  life  has  been  one  of  service 
to  the  Bahai  cause.  During  the  exile  jour- 
neys of  Baha'o'llah  and  His  followers,  and 
their  imprisonment  in  Adrianople  and  Ak- 
ka,  Abdul-Baha  was  constantly  endeavor- 
ing to  serve  them  spiritually  and  ma- 
terially. When  persecution  was  at  its 
height  Abdul-Baha  encouraged  the  people, 
cheered  them  and  gave  them  hope;  and 
when  sickness  and  disease  broke  out  among 
the  Bahais  while  they  were  confined   in  the 

PAGE  TWENTY-SIX 


prison  of  Akka,  Abdul-Baha  was  the  chief 
nurse  and   servant   of  all. 

Persons  often  remark  that  Abdul-Baha 
appears  much  older  than  his  age.  This  is 
undoubtedly  true,  for  he  has  had  to  bear, 
not  only  his  own  troubles,  but  also  those  of 
the  many  who  always  have  surrounded  him. 
His  method  of  teaching  spiritual  truths  is 
direct  and  concrete;  and  he  reaches  the 
heart  and  through  spiritual  contact  pene- 
trates the  soul  of  the  individual. 

Many  instances,  are  related  in  the  Orient, 
of  the  way  in  which  Abdul-Baha,  through 
long-suffering  and  persistent  kindness,  has 
made  staunch  friends  and  supporters  of 
those  who  held  out  as  his  enemies  so  long 
as  their  hearts  could  withstand  the  power 
of  his  love. 

Abdul-Baha  remained  in  Akka  a  prisoner 
for  just  forty  years.  His  freedom  came 
through  an  adjustment  of  governmental 
matters,  brought  about  by  the  re-establish- 
ment of  the  Turkish  Constitution  in  the 
summer  of  1908. 

During  this  confinement  Abdul-Baha  was 
yearly  visited  by  friends  and  followers 
from  all  parts  of  the  world,  although  often 
it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that  these 
friends  were  able  to  see  him,  and  some- 
times the  interviews  were  per  force  very 
brief.  Notwithstanding  these  conditions, 
each  pilgrim  received  bounteously  from 
Abdul-Baha — the  source  of  the  spiritual  life 
of  the  world  of  today — then  hastened  to  his 
own   country  to  share  this  gift  of  God. 

PAGE  TWENTY-SEVEN 


As  the  life  blood  goes  from  the  heart  to 
each  organ  of  the  body,  nourishing  and 
bringing  it  into  functional  relation  with 
every  other  organ,  so,  from  Abdul-Baha, 
who  is  the  center  and  heart  of  the  Bahai 
cause,  goes  forth  the  spirit  of  the  love  of 
God,  to  each   of  the  multitude  of  members. 

Abdul-Baha  is  the  chosen  instrument  of 
God,  in  his  mission  as  "The  Center  of  The 
Covenant."  His  servitude  to  God  is  the 
center  of  divine  guidance.  This,  Baha'o'- 
llah  proclaimed  and  this,  the  Bahais  know. 
All  who  have  had  spiritual  contact  with 
Abdul-Baha,  realize  that  in  reality  he  is  the 
point  of  divine  guidance  in  the  world  today. 
Each  one  has  had  this  demonstrated  in  a 
unique  manner,  primarily  for  his  own  personal 
enlightenment.  The  fact  of  Abdul-Baha's  mis- 
sion as  "The  Center  of  The  Covenant"  holds 
the  Bahais  together  in  an  organic  body,  and 
through  the  channel  of  Abdul-Baha's  life  of 
service  the  Divine  Spirit  is  constructing  a 
new  religious  life  in  the  world. 

Since  his  freedom,  Abdul-Baha  has  travel- 
ed. Two  winters  he  has  spent  in  Egypt,  the 
summer  and  fall  of  the  year  1911  he  spent 
in  London  and  in  Paris,  and  now  (November, 
1912)   he  is  traveling   in  America. 

During  these  travels  he  is  meeting  people 
who  have  been  attracted  by  the  spirit  of 
the  Bahai  cause,  and  he  is  sowing  spiritual 
seed  in  their  hearts  which  will  grow  in 
God's  own  time  and  bring  forth  the  fruit  of 
Tne   Kingdom  of  God  upon  earth. 

PAGE  TWENTY-EIGHT 


The  message  which  the  Bahais  are  giving 
to  the  world  is  the  fulfilment  of  The  Cove- 
nant made  by  God  with  the  people  of  the 
world  through  the  prophets  of  old.  In  accord- 
ance with  His  promise,  God  has  again  caused 
a  manifestation  of  Himself — in  Baha'o'llah, 
who  came  for  the  whole  world — that  all 
people  of  all  religions,  races,  and  nations 
may  become  one  in  faith,  and  brothers  in 
The  Kingdom-  In  order  to  establish  His 
Kingdom  of  Peace  upon  earth,  God  sent  The 
Bab  to  prepare  the  way  for  His  later  mani- 
festation in  Baha'o'llah.  Through  Baha'o'- 
llah,  The  Kingdom  came  to  the  world. 
Now,  by  Abdul-Baha — the  beloved  son  of 
Baha'o'llah — The  Kingdom  is  being  pro- 
claimed and  established  in  the  uttermost 
corners  of  the  earth. 

The  greatest  desire  of  Abdul-Baha,  is  to 
be  known  as  the  servant  of  God.  In  his 
life  of  service  is  seen  the  power,  glory  and 
majesty  of  Baha'o'llah,  Who  declared  His 
son  to  be  "The  Center  of  The  Covenant  and 
the  Greatest  Branch  from  The  Pre-existent 
Root"— The   Spirit. 

Through  Abdul-Baha's  service,  the  glory 
of  Baha'o'llah  is  being  manifested  in  the 
world,  and  The  Kingdom  of  The  Father  up- 
on the  earth  is  being  realized. 


@§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§B38883B88888888833S 


PAGE   TWENTY-NINE 


The  Bahai  teaching  appeals  to  the  soul. 
It  contains  spiritual  food  and  sustenance, 
and  gives  that  moral  assurance  and  faith 
that  every  one  craves. 

Spiritual  truth  appeals  alike  to  the  Ori- 
ental and  to  the  Occidental,  to  the 
learned  and  to  the  unlearned.  It  is  the 
one  ground  upon  which  all  can  meet  in 
perfect  accord.  This  is  fully  demonstrated 
in  the  spread  of  the  Bahai  spirit  in  the 
world,  for  its  following  is  composed  of 
Christians,  Jews,  Moslems,  Zoroastrians, 
Hindus  and  Buddhists,  and  these  many  ele- 
ments, The  Bahai  Faith  is  spiritually  form- 
ing into  one  organic  unit  of  brotherhood, 
united  under  the  Fatherhood  of  God,  and 
in   His    Kingdom   on   earth. 


W^&^W^^&^Mf^^l^l^l^^(^^J^ 


PAGE  THIRTY-ONE 


BP375 .R3C87 
The  covenant ... 

Princeton  Theological  Semmary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00010  3889 


